DePaul University Athletics
Steve Thomas’ Oregon Trail Leads to Lincoln Park
9/3/2021 10:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
New assistant coach and former Oregon staffer brings winning perspective to DePaul
CHICAGO – The Oregon connection is alive and well in Lincoln Park.
When new DePaul basketball coach Tony Stubblefield assumed the consequential task of restoring the glory days to a once-proud NCAA basketball power periodically ranked No. 1 in the country, he wanted to give himself the best possible chance to succeed.
So Stubblefield brought in proven winners to bolster his coaching staff, and that included reaching into the highly successful hoops program in Eugene, Ore.
He fondly recalled working long hours alongside a bright and conscientious young graduate assistant named Steve Thomas as they helped coach Dana Altman guide these mighty Ducks to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2013.
Thomas was part of a run that has seen Oregon advance to a Final Four, an Elite Eight and two other Sweet 16s.
Stubblefield probably knows this assistant coach better than anyone else on his high-powered staff that features Paris Parham and Bino Ranson.
"Steve is a great guy, a very hard-working and humble young man who I got to know during his two years as a GA at Oregon," Stubblefield said. "He was always available to help in any way he could, and no job was beneath him.
"Steve lived with me for those two years, and I got to know him very well. I was 43 and Steve was in his early 20s---two young guys who would spend 12 or 13 hours a day working in the office before coming home to relax and watch a little TV. We spent a lot of time together in those two years."
Both bachelors were on the neater side, so there were never any problems keeping their place clean. Cooking? That was another story.
"There wasn't a whole lot of cooking going on," Stubblefield said with a laugh. "Let's just say our stove didn't get much of a workout. We were OK with the grill---hot dogs, hamburgers, links. It's pretty hard to mess up on a grill.
"We became close, and I know his wife, kids and the rest of his family. I was there when he got married.
"Steve worked with a good friend of mine, Buzz Williams, who was the head coach at Virginia Tech. Steve has learned from a lot of great coaches including Buzz, Dana Altman at Oregon and Chris Mooney at Richmond.
"He has recruited well in the Philadelphia area and the East Coast which is so important with us playing in the BIG EAST. He also does a very good job in the gym with player development."
Thomas will never forget his first contact with Stubblefield.
"Tony and I first met in Springfield, Mass. at the Hoophall Classic Naismith Hall of Fame all-star high school game," Thomas said. "I was working as a consultant for Nike Global Basketball and went to the game with former coach and Nike executive George Raveling. It was George who introduced me to Tony.
"Little did I know that meeting Tony would lead to me coming to a beautiful city like Chicago right by the lake and sitting in my office in Lincoln Park.
"It was coach Raveling who told me about an opening on Oregon's staff as a graduate assistant. I spent two valuable years working alongside Tony learning so much about the craft. We also developed a strong relationship outside of the office."
Thomas absolutely made the most of his opportunity in the Pacific Northwest.
"What I learned about Tony---I know it's a cliché, but he is such a hard, hard worker," Thomas said. "When he was not in practice, he's working in the office.
"Traveling is not easy from Eugene with stopovers on flights and long recruiting trips. Nothing slowed Tony down. I remember him taking time out of his hectic schedule to help me.
"I must have learned about 100 different things from him. And, of all the qualities I admired about him, his loyalty and friendship were right at the top.
"I mean, here I am a GA on the low end of the spectrum and he is at the high end as one of the top assistant coaches in the country. Yet he always treated me as an equal and with the utmost respect. That has always stayed with me."
It was an unshakeable bond that grew stronger with each passing year.
"I remember he flew out for my wedding, and that meant a lot to me," Thomas said. "He doesn't just talk about loyalty and friendship---he demonstrates it all the time.
"Knowing your boss, his personality, his likes and dislikes is to your advantage as you work together for a common goal. It helps to know him on a personal level and knowing what he expects."
The trio of new assistant coaches came together rather quickly, and Thomas knows why.
"Knowing what Tony is looking for speeds up the process as a coaching staff coming together," Thomas said. "We're all quite familiar with him and won't need the usual six-to-eight months of getting to really know a new head coach.
"We all have traits in common with Tony. The high priority we place in earning the trust of people. All of us have worked with great head coaches in the past. I've met a lot of people in my life, and my relationship with Tony is among the best.
"All of us share a vision for the DePaul basketball program and building a winning culture. That's all that matters. This is not about advancing our own careers."
Stubblefield had a feeling Thomas would blend in seamlessly with his fellow assistant coaches. Where Parham and Ranson are the sizzle in DePaul's lineup of all-star recruiters, Thomas is the steady, behind-the-scenes facilitator perfectly suited to set up that spotlight moment. Where Parham and Ranson light up a room, it is Thomas who arranges for the place to shine.
"Paris has been in Chicago a long time and knows all the ins and outs," Thomas said. "He is like the unofficial mayor of Chicago.
"You need a guy like Paris to point you in the right direction when it comes to Chicago. Where to go, finding a place to live, best places to eat. He is the emcee of Chicago for us. He has a winning personality and demeanor and been so successful that it's great having him to learn about the city.
"Bino knows Maryland and the Washington, D.C. area and has strong, lifelong connections there. Bino and I have strong ties all along the East Coast. Tony created some powerful bonds all along the West Coast and Pacific Northwest.
"It's impressive to see all the success Bino had at Maryland---he was tremendous at recruiting and talking to people. There's so much I can learn from both of those guys. Blending all of our talent and resources together will help us take DePaul to the next level."
Thomas joined the Blue Demon staff as an assistant coach in May. He made the move to Chicago from Richmond where he served as the director of basketball operations prior to being promoted to assistant coach for the last two seasons.
Thomas and the Spiders posted a 14-9 record during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. Richmond advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT despite playing the tournament without its top two scorers, who were sidelined by injuries. Propelled into the Top 25 by a win at Rupp Arena over 10th-ranked Kentucky, Richmond was ranked as high as No. 19 in the AP poll during its nonconference season---the best ranking for the program since 1957.
In Thomas's first season as an assistant in 2019-20, he helped the Spiders engineer one of the most dramatic turnarounds in Division I as Richmond went 24-7 overall and 14-4 in the Atlantic 10 to finish second in the conference. The previous season, the Spiders were 13-20, 6-12. Thomas' first year was the school's best regular-season finish since joining the league in 2001.
Thomas came to Richmond from Virginia Tech where he served as Director of Student-Athlete Development under Buzz Williams. He spent one year in Blacksburg following the two-year stint as a graduate assistant at Oregon.
"My biggest contribution to the DePaul coaching staff will come in player development along with strategies on offensive and defensive sets," Thomas said. "I will bring in new players who can help us become a perennial winner and also take good care of the players who are already here.
"You spend a lot of time with your players and learn from them. You show them how much you care about them.
"When I was at Richmond, all the guys who were super seniors came back for one last run. They all had other options but decided to return. That says a lot about what we created at Richmond."
He is looking to create all of that and more in Lincoln Park.
"It all begins with athletics director DeWayne Peevy's vision of success," Thomas said. "He knows how to succeed at the highest level with all the winning at Kentucky. DeWayne is doing everything he can to help us return DePaul to its glory days.
"Tony has an amazing ability to recruit and identify talent while developing a close relationship with prospective student athletes. It's going to be exciting for fans to watch Tony and his staff change the culture.
"I can't wait to bring recruits to Chicago for a visit. Show them the vibrant Downtown, the beautiful lakefront, all the buildings and terrific scenery. They get to play in the BIG EAST---one of the best conferences in the country---and every game they play is on TV.
"There is so much DePaul and its people have to offer. What a fun and exciting place to play basketball."
When new DePaul basketball coach Tony Stubblefield assumed the consequential task of restoring the glory days to a once-proud NCAA basketball power periodically ranked No. 1 in the country, he wanted to give himself the best possible chance to succeed.
So Stubblefield brought in proven winners to bolster his coaching staff, and that included reaching into the highly successful hoops program in Eugene, Ore.
He fondly recalled working long hours alongside a bright and conscientious young graduate assistant named Steve Thomas as they helped coach Dana Altman guide these mighty Ducks to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2013.
Thomas was part of a run that has seen Oregon advance to a Final Four, an Elite Eight and two other Sweet 16s.
Stubblefield probably knows this assistant coach better than anyone else on his high-powered staff that features Paris Parham and Bino Ranson.
"Steve is a great guy, a very hard-working and humble young man who I got to know during his two years as a GA at Oregon," Stubblefield said. "He was always available to help in any way he could, and no job was beneath him.
"Steve lived with me for those two years, and I got to know him very well. I was 43 and Steve was in his early 20s---two young guys who would spend 12 or 13 hours a day working in the office before coming home to relax and watch a little TV. We spent a lot of time together in those two years."
Both bachelors were on the neater side, so there were never any problems keeping their place clean. Cooking? That was another story.
"There wasn't a whole lot of cooking going on," Stubblefield said with a laugh. "Let's just say our stove didn't get much of a workout. We were OK with the grill---hot dogs, hamburgers, links. It's pretty hard to mess up on a grill.
"We became close, and I know his wife, kids and the rest of his family. I was there when he got married.
"Steve worked with a good friend of mine, Buzz Williams, who was the head coach at Virginia Tech. Steve has learned from a lot of great coaches including Buzz, Dana Altman at Oregon and Chris Mooney at Richmond.
"He has recruited well in the Philadelphia area and the East Coast which is so important with us playing in the BIG EAST. He also does a very good job in the gym with player development."
Thomas will never forget his first contact with Stubblefield.
"Tony and I first met in Springfield, Mass. at the Hoophall Classic Naismith Hall of Fame all-star high school game," Thomas said. "I was working as a consultant for Nike Global Basketball and went to the game with former coach and Nike executive George Raveling. It was George who introduced me to Tony.
"Little did I know that meeting Tony would lead to me coming to a beautiful city like Chicago right by the lake and sitting in my office in Lincoln Park.
"It was coach Raveling who told me about an opening on Oregon's staff as a graduate assistant. I spent two valuable years working alongside Tony learning so much about the craft. We also developed a strong relationship outside of the office."
Thomas absolutely made the most of his opportunity in the Pacific Northwest.
"What I learned about Tony---I know it's a cliché, but he is such a hard, hard worker," Thomas said. "When he was not in practice, he's working in the office.
"Traveling is not easy from Eugene with stopovers on flights and long recruiting trips. Nothing slowed Tony down. I remember him taking time out of his hectic schedule to help me.
"I must have learned about 100 different things from him. And, of all the qualities I admired about him, his loyalty and friendship were right at the top.
"I mean, here I am a GA on the low end of the spectrum and he is at the high end as one of the top assistant coaches in the country. Yet he always treated me as an equal and with the utmost respect. That has always stayed with me."
It was an unshakeable bond that grew stronger with each passing year.
"I remember he flew out for my wedding, and that meant a lot to me," Thomas said. "He doesn't just talk about loyalty and friendship---he demonstrates it all the time.
"Knowing your boss, his personality, his likes and dislikes is to your advantage as you work together for a common goal. It helps to know him on a personal level and knowing what he expects."
The trio of new assistant coaches came together rather quickly, and Thomas knows why.
"Knowing what Tony is looking for speeds up the process as a coaching staff coming together," Thomas said. "We're all quite familiar with him and won't need the usual six-to-eight months of getting to really know a new head coach.
"We all have traits in common with Tony. The high priority we place in earning the trust of people. All of us have worked with great head coaches in the past. I've met a lot of people in my life, and my relationship with Tony is among the best.
"All of us share a vision for the DePaul basketball program and building a winning culture. That's all that matters. This is not about advancing our own careers."
Stubblefield had a feeling Thomas would blend in seamlessly with his fellow assistant coaches. Where Parham and Ranson are the sizzle in DePaul's lineup of all-star recruiters, Thomas is the steady, behind-the-scenes facilitator perfectly suited to set up that spotlight moment. Where Parham and Ranson light up a room, it is Thomas who arranges for the place to shine.
"Paris has been in Chicago a long time and knows all the ins and outs," Thomas said. "He is like the unofficial mayor of Chicago.
"You need a guy like Paris to point you in the right direction when it comes to Chicago. Where to go, finding a place to live, best places to eat. He is the emcee of Chicago for us. He has a winning personality and demeanor and been so successful that it's great having him to learn about the city.
"Bino knows Maryland and the Washington, D.C. area and has strong, lifelong connections there. Bino and I have strong ties all along the East Coast. Tony created some powerful bonds all along the West Coast and Pacific Northwest.
"It's impressive to see all the success Bino had at Maryland---he was tremendous at recruiting and talking to people. There's so much I can learn from both of those guys. Blending all of our talent and resources together will help us take DePaul to the next level."
Thomas joined the Blue Demon staff as an assistant coach in May. He made the move to Chicago from Richmond where he served as the director of basketball operations prior to being promoted to assistant coach for the last two seasons.
Thomas and the Spiders posted a 14-9 record during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. Richmond advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT despite playing the tournament without its top two scorers, who were sidelined by injuries. Propelled into the Top 25 by a win at Rupp Arena over 10th-ranked Kentucky, Richmond was ranked as high as No. 19 in the AP poll during its nonconference season---the best ranking for the program since 1957.
In Thomas's first season as an assistant in 2019-20, he helped the Spiders engineer one of the most dramatic turnarounds in Division I as Richmond went 24-7 overall and 14-4 in the Atlantic 10 to finish second in the conference. The previous season, the Spiders were 13-20, 6-12. Thomas' first year was the school's best regular-season finish since joining the league in 2001.
Thomas came to Richmond from Virginia Tech where he served as Director of Student-Athlete Development under Buzz Williams. He spent one year in Blacksburg following the two-year stint as a graduate assistant at Oregon.
"My biggest contribution to the DePaul coaching staff will come in player development along with strategies on offensive and defensive sets," Thomas said. "I will bring in new players who can help us become a perennial winner and also take good care of the players who are already here.
"You spend a lot of time with your players and learn from them. You show them how much you care about them.
"When I was at Richmond, all the guys who were super seniors came back for one last run. They all had other options but decided to return. That says a lot about what we created at Richmond."
He is looking to create all of that and more in Lincoln Park.
"It all begins with athletics director DeWayne Peevy's vision of success," Thomas said. "He knows how to succeed at the highest level with all the winning at Kentucky. DeWayne is doing everything he can to help us return DePaul to its glory days.
"Tony has an amazing ability to recruit and identify talent while developing a close relationship with prospective student athletes. It's going to be exciting for fans to watch Tony and his staff change the culture.
"I can't wait to bring recruits to Chicago for a visit. Show them the vibrant Downtown, the beautiful lakefront, all the buildings and terrific scenery. They get to play in the BIG EAST---one of the best conferences in the country---and every game they play is on TV.
"There is so much DePaul and its people have to offer. What a fun and exciting place to play basketball."
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